


Escaping Hanamura

by jarethsdragon



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, F/M, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Omega/Omega, Other, PLEASE READ TAGS, Rape, genji dies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-10
Updated: 2018-11-10
Packaged: 2019-08-21 17:44:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,959
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16581122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jarethsdragon/pseuds/jarethsdragon
Summary: You are working for them—the Shimadas and for the moment, they don’t mind an omega in their rarified midst.  But when Genji starts taking an interest in talking to you, of course things begin to spiral into chaos.  What did you expect?





	Escaping Hanamura

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Lady_Nightshade30](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Nightshade30/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Dark Circuits](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11992926) by [Lady_Nightshade30](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Nightshade30/pseuds/Lady_Nightshade30). 



> Inspired by the Dark Circuits series somewhere else on the site. I am not sure, but the second chapter really kind of spoke to me and inspired this. This is a DARK HANZO. He is just about irredeemable and I’ll try to make the next one a little lighter and have a happier ending.
> 
> WARNING: Rape, graphic depictions of violence, and Genji gets murdered in front of you. This is very dark and not meant for children and is not as...happy ending as most of the others. Turn back now if this isn’t your cup of tea and I promise, I won’t be offended. 
> 
> This is NSFW.

You shuddered as Genji’s sports car shot through the highway. “Genji—where are we going?”

He shook his head, shifting gears. “Like the last time I answered you—I’m not going to tell you more than you need to know.” He gave you a soft, sympathetic look. “It’s so that you can’t tell.”

You nodded uncertainly. You both had planned this defection carefully. You had helped in small ways—slowly moving things to an unused and unobserved suitcase, moving small amounts of cash around so that no one would notice it missing, and the like. He had made the arrangements and the facade that everyone believed—that you and he were going out on yet another wild trip somewhere.

Except you weren’t planning on coming back.

At first, it was little things that put you off from the elder brother, which made your leaving easier. Hanzo coming in and asking you if you knew where his brother was. (As if!) Then he began to wait for you, looking for you at your small desk or lingering outside the hallway to your room. Once he seemed to be following you to a trip to the supermarket, but that was silly—why would he be there? And weren’t there other dark, late-model cars in world?

Then, as the months had progressed, you noticed little odd things. A missing handkerchief that you would have sworn was there on your desk. A new appointment after hours for a meeting with the Shimada Scion to go over budgets and the like. How the heavily muscled alpha would linger in the foyer and seem to stare at you as you left for the day. How he had praised you so much during your last performance review that he had insisted on you reporting directly to him....

It made you even more religious about taking your suppressants. In fact, that was how Genji and you first met—when you were fumbling with your purse and the bright yellow injector had spilled out as you tried to find your keys. The younger brother had picked it up and returned it to you with a slight flush to your cheeks.

Your cycle was almost at the end, and you needed to go ahead and take the medicine to prevent a humiliating heat from turning you to mush. Unfortunately, despite being able to grab it from the pharmacy at lunch, you weren’t going to take it until you got off that evening and you could handle the inevitable bout of nausea in the comfort of your own home.

He picked it up and his face fell. “What are you doing with my injector?” 

You looked at him in confusion. “Beg pardon?”

“Why do you have my injector?” he hissed, waving it in your face. “I had it in my pocket—.”

You snatched at it, only to have him jerk it out of your reach. “Go find your own!”

He snapped back sarcastically, “This one is my—oh.” His hand hit his pocket for his phone and his whole face went pale as he pulled out a bright yellow injector almost identical to yours. “Oh...”

You grabbed yours, your face flaming. “Yeah....”

Then it occurred to you that he had one...just like yours. That prompted a rush into his office and an embarrassing afternoon of talk. No one except his family knew that he was an omega. An unashamed omega who just loved the pleasures of the flesh. They agreed to simply let him maintain his playboy ways to cover when he would inevitably need to go into hiding during his heats. It was a convenient excuse that allowed him to hide his heats in remote apartments and exotic condos at a moment’s notice.

“But,” you asked suddenly, “what about...your brother?”

He flushed dark red. “Well...he is an alpha.”

You nodded glumly. “Tell me about it.” You fiddled with your injector, turning it over and over in your fingers. “I’m actually a little scared to know he could go into a rut at any time.”

“Don’t worry, my fellow omega,” Genji smiled. “We’ll stay out of his way.” He winked at you with a grin. “As long as we keep on our suppressants, we should be okay.” He popped his open and jammed it into his forearm. “See? Piece of cake.” You nodded with a look that plainly told him he was crazy. “You wouldn’t happen to be hungry would you? I’m starved.”

Somehow he talked you into going to a restaurant with him. That was his particular talent—being able to sell snow to penguins—and he was extra glad to have someone to talk to. And talk and talk. And talk some more until the grumpy waitress shooed you both out and you wandered home.

The next day, Hanzo stormed up to you. “And what were you doing with my brother last night?!”

You gaped up at him. “Uhh...talking?”

His face was a frozen mask of rage. “I forbid it. Whatever designs you may have on him, you will abandon them this instant.”

“That’s an awful lot of words for ‘fuck off’,” you snarled back before you could have a better second thought.

He grabbed your arm into a painful wrench that locked your elbow at a hideous angle. “If I ever hear of you doing that again—I will make sure you both will regret it.”

He didn’t even listen to your snarky reply. He only shoved your arm hard enough to make you stumble and then stalked out. You shivered, looking at your abraded skin and touching it gingerly. Somehow, the spicy scent of what had to have been cologne or something lingered in the air long after he had gone.

Unfortunately, Genji was not about to give up his new friend so easily. So, he managed to sell you on the idea that you both could chat anonymously on some online game. It seemed easy enough and the game gave you brief alerts on your phone when you weren’t online. And it was really good to have a safe person to bitch about your singularly irritatingly alpha boss to. So you both became friends of a sort.

Actually, you became good friends—albeit mostly online friends. For the next occasion, he gave you—of all the weird things—a computer that connected to some dark web chat room so that you both could chat. Then came the strange handkerchief code—a rainbow of colors with meanings about when and where—or if—you could meet virtually. Red was for the Red Panda Inn on the game you both played. Orange was for the dark web chat room. White meant to not contact until the next morning at the earliest. Yellow was a gentle, mutual reminder to take the suppressants. Green meant contact as soon as possible. Purple was to avoid contact until otherwise shown. Quite soon you had a selection of dainty handkerchiefs of every color or with colored lace or embroidery or something.

One night on the chat channel, he finally confessed that he wanted to leave. You agreed he was not cut out for the cutthroat business—he was too friendly, too prone to enjoying himself and letting others do the same however they chose, too forgiving—and listened as he babbled. He was close to a heat, and it didn’t seem to do any harm to let him talk it out before he was overcome by the heat and offline for a week. And since you were on more or less the same schedule, you were going into heat at the same time and would be offline a similar amount of time. But it started something—a mutual regard and closeness as you sweated out your heat together virtually.

You staggered back into the office the next week, cradling your hot drink and blearily glad that it was all over for a while. You sat down at your desk, logged in to catch up with all of your emails, and prepared to get back to work. There was a blue handkerchief folded up on the corner of your desk and you discreetly put it in your purse—blue meant to meet him outside the Lucky Cat club where you would both talk for a bit before vanishing into the cafe to talk. He had laughed as he chose that color—the Lucky Cat sign was a brilliant neon blue thing, so it was easy to remember.

About two hours later, Hanzo strolled in with a stack of folders and printouts. You mentally groaned as he set them on your desk. He leaned over the desk, pointing out the important changes on the first page of the first folder. Then he cocked his head and said, “You’ve been absent for some time.”

You nodded without comment. Actually, you had not thought you needed to comment since you had filled out all the appropriate paperwork for heat leave. It was a hassle, but Shimada Enterprises, Inc. was like every other company in that respect. HR would rubber stamp the leave and you would be approved for up to five days of leave every three months to handle it.

He leaned closer to you for a moment, taking in a deep breath. “And you are well now?” You nodded again, looking over his papers. “There are no other problems? Other developments?”

You frowned, finally looking up at him and, to your surprise, he was staring down into your eyes. You thought of the handkerchief in your purse and inwardly shuddered. “No...things are fine.”

He stared at you and then nodded. “Good.”

You frowned more inside than out as there seemed to be some hidden message you couldn’t quite grasp in his eyes. Alphas always made you nervous, always seemed somewhat mysterious and operating on some level that you, as an omega, didn’t understand. And now this? You pointedly went back to the papers.

Genji met you later that night, drinking his usual as the Lucky Cat. “How was your heat?” he whispered in the dark corner of the club.

You shrugged. “It came and went. It was a pain in the ass.”

He nodded and passed you a fruity drink with an umbrella pick full of fruit. “I know, babe. It’s a damn irritating pain in the ass.” He shrugged. “Particularly if you’re not ready for pups.”

“Not gonna happen,” you snorted. “Don’t want to put up with an alpha and all their idiotic shit.”

“At least you’re not related to one.” He shrugged. “I swear he’s becoming more overbearing day by day.”

You both sipped your drinks, nodding and saying very little. Very little needed to be said, actually, since you both knew what each other was going through. You both knew what each other was going through well enough that you needed to say very little. He hunched over his drink, sipping it.

At the end of your drinks, you both walked out. He smiled down at you. “I’ll be in touch. You online tonight?”

You shrugged. “Maybe. I’m bushed.” He grinned, ready to tease you. “Hey, I just spent all day going over portfolios and investments and figures with your brother. It’s his fault I’m tired.”

Genji grinned. “You know...I could take that all kinds of ways.”

“Not that way,” you hissed. “Look—just get lost. I don’t need him hacked at me.”

He laughed. “I’ll see you online later.” He shrugged, his face growing solemn. “I need to talk.”

You laughed at him and waved, going back to your car and driving to your apartment. After a long bath, you logged in to your encrypted chat. Sure, enough he was there and he was eager to talk. He had sweated out his heat and, apparently, spent the entire time plotting and planning on how to leave.

He had figured it all out, too. He would “lose” an injector and have to get another. He had already moved some money around, gotten a nest egg. He would go out a day or two on one of his swinging vacations just before his next scheduled heats and then simply vanish.

Which is where you came in. You were there to help him move some of the accounts—a risky business enough—and to pose as one of his sudden and impulsive one-night stands as he vanished. In exchange, he would help you disappear completely with new identity and enough money to start over.

He could sell snow to a penguin and sand to a camel—so it was easy for him to sell this plan to you.

You told your doctor you were planning a trip and needed a new refill of your suppressants early. He agreed absently, asking where you were going and you told him Hong Kong—the first place you could think of you might actually want to go. It also seemed to be far enough you might be gone a long time. You did the things Genji wanted—moved money and rearranged everything—and prayed that he meant it when he said he’d protect you if anyone found out.

Hanzo seemed to need your time and attention more and more. He insisted on you staying late once or twice, going over figures several times and the charts with a fine toothed comb. That would be overbearing, but not unusual given the end of the quarter, but as he stayed more in your office, others stayed away. You missed a birthday party happy hour because the person who was handing out invitations saw he was in there with you and simply kept walking. He had that legendary glower, too, ready to incinerate anyone who disturbed you both.

Only Genji seemed unconcerned. He made a big show of waltzing into the office the next week and dropped a flashy bouquet on your desk, wrapped in a purple ribbon. He was rather overloud as he asked you out. You laughed, looking at the piles of papers and folders and told him no, you were busy. You actually told him no twice—signaled by a purple ribbon on the flowers and then the brilliant violet tie he wore the second time. Things went swimmingly, everyone focused more on your “new boyfriend” rather than what you were doing. Finally, you saw the signal to contact him online—and he told you the final plans, namely that you both would leave in two weeks.

You got things ready for the big escape. You stuffed your purse the day of—your injector, your keys and identification, your brochures for trains and travel, your petty cash—and finally gave Genji the big “yes” he wanted. He gave a happy whoop and a clap that drew everyone’s attention to him and swore he was going to take you on a trip. Of course, you agreed with a smile on your face. Then he waltzed out, shouting he’d call you and to pack a small bag.

Hanzo must have been right outside the door, because he came in with a scowl and a folder in his hands. You shuddered as he glided across the carpet and came to lean on your desk. “What was that about?”

You looked up at him, trying to gauge his mood as he studied the papers. His face suddenly cleared into his professional persona as he studied your suddenly red face. “Uhh...I...uh agreed to go on a date with him.” You shrugged nervously and choked out, “A trip.”

“A trip?”

“Um. Yeah...it’s just a short one.”

“Where?”

You frowned a bit, trying to figure out if he was kidding or just making small talk or trying to trap Genji. “I...I guess I don’t know yet.” You ducked down to stare at the papers on your desk. “He’s asked a few times and told me he would surprise me with something special.”

Your improvisation was not a wise idea. Hanzo took out a paper and slammed it down on the table. His face was absolutely calm, but he still had an aura of fury around him. His eyes snapped as you looked at him. “Do. Not.”

“What?!”

“Whatever he has planned, do not do it.” He gestured towards the phone. “I forbid it.”

“What?!” You shook your head wildly, trying to cover the sound of your panicked heartbeat in your ears. “I mean...he’s dated everyone in the office at least twice over—.”

“But not you.” He shook his head again. “I forbid it.”

You shook your head again. “I...really don’t understand. It’s just a date.”

He sighed and reached over to slam your office door. “I realize that you might think he is exciting. Perhaps you are flattered. But I do not want you to do it. So you will call him now and cancel.” He pointed to the phone again. “You will further tell him you are unavailable from now on and have a very jealous boyfriend now.”

“Wh-what?!”

He leaned over you like a buzzard with a predator’s grin of flashing teeth. “Little omega...you have a very jealous boyfriend now. There is no need for you to seek anyone else, nor is there room.”

You stared up at him in shock. “But...I don’t—. That’s not true and in any case, I’ve already told him yes.” You tried again to make your brain work to come up with an excuse. “And he’s so...impulsive, he’s probably already started making reservations and buying tickets.”

“Then you had better hurry,” he said calmly, looming over you. “I will...wait. This time.”

You sighed, shivering at the expression on his face. You had no idea what he thought he was doing, but whatever it was, you wanted to get him to leave as soon as possible. So, you called Genji, told him you weren’t going to be available tonight. He hawed and cawed loudly enough that Hanzo nodded with a smirk as he heard it. With a groan, you hung up.

“Good,” he purred.

“But I don’t have a boyfriend!” You shook your head sadly. “I don’t know why you wanted me to even say that.”

“I wanted to make sure that he never asked again,” Hanzo said evenly. “And that was the shortest route to get there.”

“So am I supposed to just stop dating or something?” That made you angry, but you couldn’t afford to tell him off like you wanted to—with plenty of four letter words and a loud smack across his cheek. “With all due respect, I think that what I do on my time is my business.”

Hanzo only shrugged. “We will go out tonight if you wish.” He checked his gold watch. “I have a 2:30, but I should be free at 5:00 to catch a matinee and then dinner at 7:30.”

You blinked in surprise. “Uhh...what?”

“You keep saying that,” he commented blandly. “Do I need to repeat myself often, or will you listen more closely?”

“But...we aren’t—.” You sputtered angrily. “I kind of had plans before—.”

“But you do not now.” He shrugged. “And if you hurry and work hard, I can even take you shopping for an appropriate dress.”

“Who the—just who do you think you are?!”

He’s spun and slammed his hands down on your desk. “In case it was not clear, I am the one who is stopping your rebellious nonsense. You are an omega. I am an alpha and I do not share you!” You cowered in your seat, slumping down as he raged above you. “And no matter where you think you can go, I will always find you. I have been patient, but make no mistake—I will be the alpha that claims you.” His eyes glittered darkly with fury and some kind of alien and dark coldness you had never seen in another human being. “And if you try to join with some other, know that I will cut him down and I will mount you even if I am covered in his blood!”

You gaped at him as he put the folder on your desk and left. Desperate to reach out to your fellow omega, you took a note written in red ink with a fake meeting reminder. Genji took a look at the small post-it note and nodded before handing you a pile of folders to give to his brother. The day continued as you kept going. As soon as you could, you ducked out to go home and log into your game and went to the virtual landmark.

Genji showed up about a half hour later. “What’s wrong?”

“He made me say that,” you typed back hurriedly.

“Damn.” A pause as his character scratched its head thoughtfully and gave a little dance. Why on earth that man decided to dress his character in a pink and green dress and a panda mask, you’d never know. “Does he know?”

“I did what he told me.” You brooded as your character waved to you. “I told you that because he was watching.”

“Did he say anything else?”

“That he was going to take me to a matinee and then to dinner.” You shrugged slightly as you simply avoided thinking about anything else that was said. “And if I hurried, he’d take me shopping for a dress.”

There was a long enough pause that his character actually nodded and went to sleep. Finally it woke up and waved. “I think we should leave now.”

“Now?! Are you trying to get me killed?!” You tried to type a command and your character gave a rude gesture. “What the hell????????”

He nodded, giving you a wave. “I know. Hold on and I’ll be by in five.”

“Five minutes?! Where are you?”

“Parking lot down the block.” He—or his character, rather— gave you a strange wave. “I used my phone as a hot spot and logged in as soon as I could.” There was another wave. “Let me log off and I’ll be there. Grab your bag.”

His character disappeared with a theatrical puff of sparkles. You sighed as your character began to nod sleepily. He was right, you supposed. There was too much riding on this. Reluctantly, you logged off, never noticing the darkly cloaked rogue figure in the corner as it watched you.

You grabbed your packed bags just in time as the dark car pulled up and honked its horn. Everything seemed to be clumsy and slow as you drug your bag out and locked your apartment, even though you were moving as fast as you could. Genji waved from the driver’s seat and popped open the trunk. Hopping out, he grabbed your bag and slung it into the back. Absently, he also grabbed your huge, stuffed purse and put it in the back as well. 

Of course, simply because you were in a hurry, your purse burst and scattered everything in the trunk. You growled and shoveled it back in with red cheeks as he stared at all the detritus and bits and pieces that you kept in there. “Fuck,” he cursed playfully. “How do you even stand upright with all that crap in there?”

“Ha-ha,” you hissed. You grabbed your wallet and slammed the trunk. “Let’s get out of here.”

He nodded shortly and opened your door for you. “We’ll get out of here. The last thing I want is to arouse any suspicion.”

You watched as he pulled away from your apartment and merged into traffic. “So...we’re really doing this?”

He gave you a glance and sighed. “It’s complicated. You sure you want to get into this any deeper?”

You groaned, “Look—I’m in so deep I can’t see daylight. I’ll never be able to work again after this.”

He shrugged. “I’ll take care of you.” With a cheeky grin that was still somehow strained, he added, “I guess we are in this together, so I can trust you.

“So, you know I’m an omega, right?” You nodded uncertainly. “And my dear older brother is an alpha. A pain in the ass, too. He thinks he can do anything he likes—in the business, in the family, and...and with me.”

You stared at his embarrassed face. He was scowling and his whole face—even his neck and ears—was red. “What are you saying?”

“He...he wanted....” He sighed, glancing over his shoulder to merge into another lane. “Look...he’s an alpha and I’m an omega and...during his ruts—.”

“What the ever-loving fuck?!”

He shrugged again, not even looking at you. “I told you that it was...complicated.” He swallowed heavily, and you could barely see the tears in his eyes. “I had enough. I want to find somewhere that I can start over without him breathing down my neck and thinking he owns me and my body.”

You groaned, nodding. “Hell—as bad as he was with me, I can’t imagine being related to him.”

He nodded. “Yeah. It’s gotten worse with our father is insisting on him claiming an omega—a female omega, specifically—so that we can have another generation of Shimadas.” You glanced up at him nervously. “As you can imagine, there’s not a lot of female omegas coming near us. Even fewer that are willing to put up with us—.”

You interrupted, “Are you really yakuza?” He smirked and glanced at you. “I mean...that’s the rumor around the office. That that’s why you both are in and out so much.”

He took a deep breath and nodded. “We don’t really talk about it, but—hell—you and I are in this together, so why not?” He took an exit. “Yeah...one of the oldest clans in Japan and all that.” He looked at you. “Is that why you agreed? That you want some kind of thrill of a bad boy or something?”

You shook your head. “I...I don’t like it. But it’s.... It’s complicated.” Sighing, you sagged back into your seat. “But...I am glad to be away from him.”

“I know.” He finally smiled. “So am I.”

He drove for over an hour before exiting the busy freeway. “So our tickets are for a late night flight, so I got us a room to rest before we’re cooped up in a plane.”

You shuddered as Genji’s sports car shot through the highway. “Genji—where are we going?”

He shook his head, shifting gears. “Like the last time I answered you—I’m not going to tell you more than you need to know.” He gave you a soft, sympathetic look. “It’s so that you can’t tell.”

“That’s not good enough. I’m going with you aren’t I?” you snorted. “Where are we going?”

“Seattle,” he grunted. “Every other time, I’ve traveled west over China, so I figured for luck we’d try going east to the U.S.”

“What’s the in U.S.?”

He sighed with a smirk saying he was giving you an act. “Well, Seattle is just a stopping point before going to Dorado. I think that I’ve got a lead on a rather tidy little position.” He grinned wildly. “I found someone who knows someone and.... Well...I finally got a hold of—.” He sighed, shifting gears. “We’re going to go to Overwatch.”

“Overwatch?!” you gasped.

“Yeah—their international crime unit is highly interested in what I can tell them.” He flushed. “They have promised that I’ll have a completely new identity—you, too—and that no one will know me. Then I can work with them.”

“And me?”

“You are traveling with me as a refugee from the gang’s violence. I was told that they can extend sanctuary, if your claim is credible.” His voice dropped softly, “I made sure you were covered too. Half the take is yours so that you can get started somewhere else if you want. Just...go with me to Dorado. Meet them and think about it and make your decision, then, okay?”

His voice was soft and almost timid. It rattled you and you whispered, “Okay. I’m with you until Dorado.” He shuddered and his face looked relieved. “But, just...we only have each other now, right?”

“Yeah...I guess.” He puffed out a breath. “Just us.” He turned into a cheap hotel’s parking lot. “I’m...fuck, I’m sorry.” He popped open the trunk and began hauling the luggage. “I’m just...a little afraid now. I’ve always had alphas all around me—my father, my brother, cousins—and now I’m just an omega on my own now.” You nodded in sympathy. “I’m a little afraid of what happens to omegas on their own.”

He had you check in and get the cheap key to the even cheaper room. He hauled in the luggage and sighed. Looking up at you with a world-wearied expression, he gave you a timid smirk. “Thank you for coming. I’m...really fucking glad not to be on my own just yet.”

You both laughed a little. Going out to the small room down the hall, you dumped money into the vending machines. Japan has the world’s best vending machines and even in this roach motel, the machines were awesome compared to the rest of the civilized world. You got two bowls of steaming hot ramen, two beers, a huge bottle of icy water and two bananas for a paltry amount and staggered back to the room.

There was not really much to say, to talk about. You were both on the run and hoping not to die. At least you had a hot meal and something to drink. You killed some time watching some boring television and then mutually decided that it was time to get a long nap before the flight. He set the old-fashioned alarm clock and turned off his phone before reaching for yours.

“Turn it completely off,” he whispered. “Don’t want them tracking it.”

You nodded slowly. You hadn’t thought about that. “I’ll...just get changed for bed.”

“Okay.” He seemed glum as he stared at his dark phone. “I suppose a nap would be good before our flight.” He offered you a shaky smile. “We can rent a computer or something or a new phone to play on for the flight.”

You got changed in the bathroom and came out to sit on the edge of the bed. He looked at you sadly—like a lost puppy—and then shrugged. Without another word, he stood and went to the bathroom. Without even looking at you, he came back out in some pajama pants and went to the other edge of the bed. You gasped to see his back. He had a beautiful jade green dragon tattoo across the back of his shoulders with a long, sinuous leg going down his spine. The tattoo was breathtaking, but even more startling was the long, thin scars criss-crossing his skin under more thin purple or red marks.

“What the hell, Genji?” you whispered, your hand going out to trace the air over his back.

He looked over his shoulders with a defeated smile. “Yeah.” He shrugged again, and you were absolutely amazed he wasn’t howling in pain. “Hanzo wanted me to understand that I was to leave you alone.”

You took in a shaky breath. Fuck. “And the others?”

He growled so low you almost didn’t hear it. “I...I couldn’t help it.” Another agonizing shrug and you heard tears in his voice. “I couldn’t help but fight his ruts.”

You swallowed and he pointedly laid down on the very edge of the bed and turned off his light. There wasn’t anything else to really say. So, you laid down as well, turning off your light. The time passed in blessed silence and sleep.

Then, the worst happened. You woke up to the silent hotel room, sweating and trembling. You shuddered, your uncertain fingers going automatically between your thighs. At first, you were hoping it was nothing, but at first touch you knew what was happening—and your heat had started.

“Genji!” you hissed. “Genji—help me.”

He jerked awake, his arms whipping out in front of him automatically. Looking around, he realized after a second you weren’t under attack, and he finally turned on the lamp and looked at you. “W-w-what?”

You whined. “Can...? My purse.” A flush of fire went through you, making you writhe. “It’s still in the trunk....”

“It’s in the car,” he grunted bitterly.

“Sup—sssss,” you hissed, rolling your hips against your fingers. Talking was hard as your heat began to rise and your fingers got busy. He looked at you in shock and you finally croaked out, “Yellow, Genji.”

“Yellow? Like yellow fever?” He looked confused for another bleary moment and then his eyes went wide as it dawned on him what you were saying. “Fuck! You’re going in heat?!”

You nodded and he drug himself out of bed to the car. It was impossible to even think as you kicked the blanket off and began tugging off your clothes. Already you were too sensitive for clothing. It was almost impossible to think now and you were absolutely terrified as well. No airline would let you on if you were in heat.

Genji staggered back inside with a sorrowful face. He looked down sadly at you and shook his head. Slowly, he showed you your suppressant injector and you saw it was crushed. The springs and gears were poking out and of the plastic. “Damn. I’m so sorry. I had no idea. It’s my fault—if I hadn’t taken the curves so fast then the luggage thumping around wouldn’t have crushed this.”

He tugged the curtains to make sure that they were closed. “I’m so sorry. So sorry.” He was so sad, so gentle as he came to the bed. “I...I’ll help you out, babe. I can go and try to get you some more, but you need to get through this peak before I can leave you.”

“W-w-where are you gonna get it?”

“I’ll break into a pharmacy,” he grinned with a careless tone. “No problem.”

Approaching you slowly, he held up his hands timidly. “I’ll help you get through it. You can take my suppressants if we’re desperate. I can get another dose when you’re okay.”

You nodded and he gave you the saddest, most desperate smile. Slowly, he pulled off his pajama pants and you shuddered to see the scars going down his legs. He came to the bed on tiptoes, his body shaking.

“I know I’m not an alpha,” he whispered as though speaking too loud was going to shatter everything. “I know that. But I’ve...I’ve got fingers and I’ve got a cock and I can help you get through this first little bit.” He slid close to the bed. “I’ll also tell Mercy—.”

“Who?” you gasped in confusion.

“She’s the doctor I’ve been talking to,” he whispered. “She’s great. She’s the one that told me omegas can work at Overwatch. I’ll tell her that we will need some emergency help when we land in Dorado.” He grinned at you. “I don’t want my dose of suppressants to fry you when you’ve been helping me so much.”

Moving so slowly, he turned you gently over to your back. You stared blankly up at him, already shaking as he gently moved your hands aside. He knelt between your trembling legs and kissed you as softly as he could. You grabbed his shoulders in desperation.

“Help me.”

He nodded slowly, tears in his eyes. “I will.” He chuffed out an unsteady breath. “I know how it is to be in heat, remember?”

You nodded and reached down to his cock. It was silky soft, the balls taut but small underneath a slender and curving cock. You stroked him and he shuddered shyly. “I...I....”

He bit his lip anxiously and pulled back. Watching you carefully with tears running down his cheeks, he slid inside your core. It was almost what you needed. It was not the huge, fat alpha cock your body wanted, but it felt pretty good. You came on his cock, feeling his smaller omega knot brushing you.

He was so gentle, rocking slowly back and forth and taking it so slow. A heat might not be so bad like this—soft words and gentle strokes and kitten kisses. You kissed him back, your own eyes in tears at how soft he was with you.

“Knot,” you whispered in his ear.

“I know,” he sighed. “I’ll...I’ll try.”

With a sad grin, he showed you a small foil covered condom and with an expert move, put it on. He held you, his soft caresses the stuff of novels, as he spat on his fingers and worked your collective wet over his knot. Then, closing his eyes, he pushed forward, his knot working into you with almost no effort. You both came together, his cock helping your heat settle back to a dull throb.

“Hey, kiddo,” he whispered in your hair. “You okay?”

You nodded uncertainly. If only he wasn’t an omega, he’d be your dream guy. Hell if he wasn’t almost there now no matter what. You panted in deep breaths, feeling the beginning heat drawing slowly back like a shadow monster retreating from a wavering candle.

He pulled back, careful with the condom as he wobbled between your legs. “I don’t want anything to happen to you.” His kiss was soft and sweet. “We’ll be okay.”

You nodded slowly, tears in your eyes. “What happens now?”

He sighed. “There’s one injector left, but it’s dosed for me.” He gave you a tired smirk that was his best attempt to be flirtatious. “If we give it to you and call Mercy—she can have a dose waiting for us when we land in Seattle.” He shook on top of you, like he was terrified and proud and uncertain all at the same time. “Maybe she can make an arrangement to have one dropped off before we take off—if I call her now.”

You nodded weakly, but something made you ask, “What happens if I—? I mean, it would be like an overdose wouldn’t it?”

He gaped for a moment. “Uhhh....” He scratched his head. “I don’t know.” He shuddered. “I mean...it should be okay, right?”

“You’re twice my size and weight, Genji!”

He laughed, leaning on his elbows. “You know...you so rarely use my name. It sounds...nice when you say it.”

Your voice went hoarse and shook. “Can she give me a dose for...my size?”

He cocked his head. “I guess that could work.” He looked at the old phone on the cabinet. “If we use a landline or something, reverse the charges, maybe....”

You nodded slowly, taking in a deep breath. “Can you try her? To get a dose for me?”

He looked down at you tenderly, with understanding in his eyes. “I saw a small pharmacy down the block. I’ll go there and see if they will let me use their phone.”

“Won’t you get recognized?”

He shrugged fatalistically. “I might. But maybe not. And I’m just asking to use their phone. If not, then I’ll come back and we’ll get through the next wave and then I’ll break into their place and get it.”

You nodded enthusiastically. That sounded like a real plan, and God, you needed a bath. Or a shower. A cold shower. You clambered out of the bed as he got marginally dressed. He grabbed a handful of dirt and rumpled his clothes. Then he pulled a hooded sweatshirt out and, with a few more smears of dirt he looked like a poor, scruffy man who hadn’t shaved in a few days.

“Lock the door behind me,” he whispered. “Block it so that no one can get in.” You nodded blankly. “And...and if the worst happens, show them the injector and tell them that...that I trapped you here.”

“What?!”

He handed you the busted injector. “You heard me, omega. Throw me under the bus and tell whoever finds you that I forced you.” He gave you a grin. “It will improve my reputation.”

You snorted, but took the injector and set it on the table. He patted your head like a cat and locked the door behind him. Then, you decided to take that cold shower. By the time you came back out, he had gotten back with a small paper bag and was slumped on the bed.

“Sorry, beautiful,” he whispered. “I couldn’t even use their phone. I got some condoms, but I’ll go out in an hour or two I’ll break in.”

You nodded, trembling in the cool air as the next wave of your heat ramped up. He laid you on the bed as softly as he had before and dumped out the condoms on the beside table. You blushed to see them and he shrugged, “I did get a call into Mercy. There’s some agents on their way here now. They’ll have a new injector and...and will get us there.”

You nodded slowly. “So we’re not—?”

“Not going to be going on Japan Air,” he clarified. “They—Overwatch—is going to send us on a chartered flight so that even omegas in heat can get the hell away from here.” He shrugged again solemnly. “I told you I’d get you out of here and now agents are moving their asses to get here, so all we have to do is wait this out a bit.”

You smiled at him. It was startling and almost beautiful to see him like this—uncertain and unsure and still smiling. Most of the time, he was in his devil may care persona like it was another piece of the suits he was fond of wearing. Now, he was shy and seemed to actually be a little scared, but eager to try and help.

You glanced up at him as he began shucking off the clothes again. “Do you want to take your dose now?” He sighed, suddenly not meeting your eyes. “I mean—so that you don’t get pushed into a heat because of me.”

“Well...someone has to be upright,” he nodded, his cheeks red. “But...if I do that, then I won’t be able to help you.”

You nodded again, looking up at him as he shuddered. “You...okay?”

His eyes were filled with tears and one of them trickled down his cheek. “I’ve—hell.... I’ve never been on top.” His hands shook violently as he cradled your face. “I never was allowed to be on top and I’ve...never done it like this. Never done the whole soft and slow thing during a heat.” His kiss was soft and sweet. “I’m.... Hanzo never let me—not like this. It’s...nice.”

You nodded in slow, sad understanding. It was too easy to imagine his older brother overpowering him, holding him down and taking what he wanted. It made your heart break and made you more determined. This heat was going to be your gift to him—to show him a little bit of being gentle.

He smiled sadly at you, shyly revealing his body again. You smiled, stroking his skin gently, running your fingers over the scars and lines. He was timid as he knelt there, kissing your cheeks and stroking your skin. The heat made you more bold and you sat up to kiss him back, to gently lap at him. He shook and gave you a happy moan as your mouth traced from his navel down the narrow line of thin hairs from his belly down to his cock.

Again, he was hard, his narrow cock almost like one of his grins and his small knot was not intimidating at all. It was wonderful to have a heat like this—without the harsh dominance of an alpha’s rut. You were safe with him. Genji would never dominate you, never grind you into the mattress or demand your submission. You need never be afraid with him.

Why had no one ever said that being with another omega was so lovely?

He laughed merrily as he slid into you again. “Hell—you’re amazing!” His body went faster. “This is so....fuck.” His body curled up against you, cuddling you and smiling. His arms went around you as though he had never been so happy. “I...I—.”

“Your knot is....” Your body was getting so turned on that it felt amazing with him. No matter what, it felt like this is where you were supposed to be. “I love—.”

He was nodding wildly, sweat sparkling on his skin. “Baby.... Hold on. My knot won’t hurt you.”

“I know,” you whispered, arching back with joy.

That was the last thing you said to him. His face—his smile and happiness and his utter beauty—was burned in your eyes. Then, like in a horror movie, you saw his torso jerk, her jaw dropping and his eyes growing wide. He arched painfully backward, his hands shaking and letting go of you. Then a sparkling silver sword blade seemed to grow out of his chest, shooting a thin stream of blood on the wall above your head as it seemed to cut awkwardly up and through the shoulder.

Hanzo growled and you heard him snarl and push Genji’s body off the bed entirely. You screamed breathlessly as he climbed up in his brother’s place. Like a horror movie, he was spattered in blood. The sword still glistened scarlet and you were staring at it as he pulled off his dark glove and drove his fingers into your core.

“You are in heat, my omega,” he growled, nipping at your skin. He looked at his brother and the scattered condoms and nodded. “And you are not infected with his seed. Good.”

You took in a deep breath to scream again, but he had his hand over your mouth. Looking down at you, he set the sword beside you and fumbled in his pocket. He smiled cruelly as he pulled out a handkerchief.

“I told you that I would have you even if I was covered in the blood of whoever was trying to knot you,” he purred. With a swift move, he shoved the cloth over your face. “You are my omega and I claim you for myself.”

Your world went dark with a noxious smell that coated your tongue and all in your nose. You clawed weakly at him, but he was too strong. You never saw him pick up your broken injector, ball up your clothes under his arm. You never felt him wrap you in his top and settle you in the low, dark colored vehicle with the suited driver and bodyguard in the front. You never saw him nod to someone else—another shadowy, suited figure—who got into the car Genji was driving and drove it somewhere before crashing it and then set it on fire several blocks away. And just like that—scarcely a minute or two it seemed—you were gone and all trace of your presence in the room was removed.

You woke up in the back, sick to your stomach and your heat raging in your body. Hanzo had you draped across his lap, suckling on your skin. The privacy screen was up and he had made sure that your scent would be trapped with him. You kicked and thrashed weakly, trying to find your balance.

“Spirited still? I chose well,” he growled in your ear as he trapped your arms. “We are going somewhere more private for your heat.”

“Genji—?”

He snarled softly, taking your hand and dragging it along his thick, heavy cock. “Do not worry, my omega. He won’t be a problem any more.”

You began sobbing as he began forcing his fingers into your core again. You were practically dripping with slick and shaking with need by the time the car pulled in front of a small, traditional house. All of the body guards and yakuza melted away into the dark night as he hauled you over the threshold and into the first bedroom he came to.

A nervous looking woman—a wiry thin beta woman who didn’t seem to notice the heavy scents boiling off of the both of you—scurried out as he came in with you and you saw the neat futon for a half a second before he all but tossed you on it. You shuddered as he slid the door closed and tore off his clothes.

By the dim light of the small paper lantern in one corner, you got a look at his naked body. Unlike his brother, he was thickly and heavily muscled like a bulldog. He had only a few small marks—the usual looking marks from growing up—and then his tattoo going from his left shoulder to his wrist. Your body seized up in fear at the sight of his heavy, thick cock jutting out from his body and the huge knot swelling at the base.

He laughed as he tugged on the cloth wrapped around his hair and it came down in inky coils around his shoulders. “You look delicious, omega.” You whined and scrambled to your knees, trying to tug the sheet around you. “Your scent is perfection and now....” He took in a deep breath, taking in your scent like a hound. “Now I no longer have to pretend I am not going to have your body wherever and whenever I wish.”

You blinked in surprise as he leapt to the futon and tore the sheet away from you. Grabbing your ankles, he pulled them down around his legs, ignoring your terrified whine. When you dared look up at him again, you saw his legendary tattoo start to glow softly.

Your scrambles and whines seemed to amuse the big alpha as he settled his cock at your core. He smirked as one hand wrapped around your wrists over your head and the other gripped your hip. With a growling grunt, he shoved forward and drove his cock inside your core.

There was nothing you could do as he kept shoving deeper and deeper. This was nothing like when Genji was with you—there was no consideration, no gentleness, no tender kisses or touches. Instead, he drove forward until he was all the way in, scraping the entrance to your womb.

“Your heat, omega—it is...intoxicating.” Abruptly, he let your hands go to grip your hips. “I have looked forward to this sweetness.”

He began thrusting and you wailed as your heat rose. Hanzo was unmistakably an alpha, with an alpha’s needs and he was determined to master you. He curled over you, taking your achingly tight nipples in his mouth and suckling them as though he was trying to suck out your soul.

You couldn’t help it. Your heat was too much, crippling you as the alpha began rocking back and forth, thrusting in and out. Fire began to flow in your veins and your hands grabbed his arms. He shifted slightly, tugging your legs up to his waist and the new angle made your core tighten around his cock in some kind addictive way.

“That is what I want, omega,” he purred. “I want all of your heat.”

You shook your head, your tears falling softly out of your eyes. “N-n-no...please, no.”

He pulled further back, gathering his strength and tensing his thick thighs. His eyes seemed to glow with a bit of light blue fire and you saw the tattoo glowing now—the outline of the coiling dragon brilliant in the dark. “Do you need my knot omega?”

You did, but there was nothing that would make you admit it. You screamed at him, “I hate you.”

He only chuckled and shrugged. “And?” He thrust forward, the knot scraping your hungry core. “Is that supposed to matter?”

You trembled as he pulled out entirely and dropped to begin lapping at your skin. At first it was over your neck, then down to your breasts. Your breasts trembled and you struggled, your fingers going automatically to your core, only to have him pull them away and hold them at your sides. You couldn’t do anything as his nips and licks went from your tight nipples and breasts to your belly. He stopped long enough to trail his tongue along your navel and then down further.

He knew what he was doing, too. He played with your clit, waiting for you to become more and more desperate. It was not even a matter of choice, it was a matter of when—your heat was going to force you one way or another. And then he actively provoked you, dipping his tongue into your core and pinching your tight clit. His fingers were rough as they scraped against your every aching nerve.

Without warning, your body clamped down on his tongue as it pushed its way into your slick. You panted and thrust upward blindly, whining as your body decided for you. Your body needed—no, demanded to be bred—and like any animal need, it didn’t care for such things as decency or...humanity. You panted, moaning on the bed, and tried to resist as much as you could, but it was futile to pretend that it was in any way going to stop him.

And hell, he was a determined son of a bitch. He knew as well as you—perhaps even better than you—that your fighting was going to fade eventually. He could feel it fading even now, your muscles loosening and the slick gushing out and your body curling upward. Your fists unclenched and shook and then there was that one desperate push upward against his tongue.

He laughed and you felt him lunge upward to drive his cock back into your core. It was over now and both of you knew it. His whole body shuddered to feel your hips curl uncertainly upward. He thrust forward viciously, his balls slapping against you with heavy sounds and making you shriek. His snapping body made you thrust upward in a shallow echo.

His eyes and that tattoo were glowing a hectic, brilliant blue as he kept it up. His skin felt hot when your fingers traced the dragon. He smiled down at you possessively and with a shove, his knot jammed against your tight core. Your mouth went dry and you only croaked out your protests were strangled as he kicked harder against the futon.

With a wet sound, his knot slid inside you and locked you to him. Your hoarse cry was in the air as he rolled his hips to settle that aching knot hard inside. “My omega.... My omega and....” His hips rolled again, the knot scraping deliciously. “And then I will have you and pups of my own.”

You shook your head, but his knot was what your heat needed and begged for. You wanted to scream, to fight and bite. Some desperate part of your mind wanted him to become enraged at you, perhaps enough to draw that sword again. But animal instincts were not to be denied, and your core squeezed him, rocking slowly back and forth, you felt him groan.

“Just like that, omega,” he purred with a sweaty nod. “Milk my cock for my seed, omega.”

His thick tongue slid up and down your neck, making your skin prickle. You shuddered, your hands torn between clawing his skin and gripping him closer. It circled all around your scent glans in a tantalizing dance and for a moment you were praying he would just disappear. Then he bit down. Your body shook as heat flushed through your body, forcing a deep and instinctive response out of you.

You clamped down and twisted. You were going to take his seed sheerly to get him off of you. You didn’t want anything else—didn’t care about anything—but to get away from him. He hissed, his head jerking back and his hips snapping forward again. With another almost silent groan, his body shook one last time and seed pumped into you.

You let out a strangled sound as his knot softened and he pulled away wearily. He gave you a pat on your hip and pulled himself to the other side of the futon. Your body was shaking with all kinds of feelings you didn’t know what to do with and you rolled away from him.

Hanzo stood up and locked the bedroom door. He padded to the adjoining bathroom and began taking a shower. You couldn’t even move except to pull the sheet over your body. The heat would last a while and there was no use, no hope, of him leaving you alone so there was no use to ask.

He came back and stretched out beside you on the futon. In a few more silent moments, he rolled you to your side and curled around your back. Then he was asleep as you stared at the wall all night, waiting for the next wave.

A few months later, Hanzo was solemn as he studied the doctor’s report. You were unsurprisingly pregnant, but you were carrying a boy child—his heir to the Shimada yakuza empire. He nodded vaguely towards you, but he seemed to be unable to smile at all despite getting what he wanted. You hated him as he dismissed you. He was going to be gone all night doing whatever it was he did while you were locked down on the estate. Wherever he went, you didn’t know about it and didn’t want to know about it.

He had been gone more and more recently. There had been some kind of legal troubles—police troubles or something—that had been taking up all his time. In addition, he had begun walking in the gardens for hours and hours, longer and longer. You had seen him in the hallways of Hanamura, suddenly glancing over his shoulder as if he expected someone to be there when there wasn’t. Occasionally, he would smile at something he read or heard and would do that nervous glance over his shoulder and his smile would falter as he realized he was staring at nothing but empty space. Then he had begun looking at you with that faltering expression before his features would darken and he’d give a vague nod and walk away.

Finally, as you both were at the solitary dinner, he finally just stopped eating. He had done that more often recently, as though he was simply running down. He had lost some weight—his cheekbones becoming more prominent and sharper, his shoulders and waist narrower. You weren’t really up for eating—the child were making you very ill no matter what the books said about the nausea going away—and so you sipped your tea and looked at him.

“Is something wrong?” you finally asked.

He jerked as though he had been sleeping. “N-n-no. Of course not. Just things at work.”

You couldn’t resist and finally croaked out. “What kind of things?”

“Nothing you need to be concerned about,” he sighed.

“I can’t be interested in your...work?” you asked tartly.

He blinked in obvious surprise—a highly strange thing for him to do—and then over his shoulder again. His eyes focused again on something that wasn’t there and then, with another shocked jerk, he flushed and turned his face back to you. Finally, he sighed, “Were you so interested in Genji’s work?”

“What?!”

His face turned fierce and he glowered at you. “Were you so interested in my brother’s affairs?” His whole body tensed. “Were you so keen on asking him what he was doing?”

“I’m...I’m sorry,” you hissed.

His hands shook. “You carry the Shimada heir. You need to focus on what is best for him.” His head cocked and he stared sadly at you. “Can you do that?”

Your whole body shivered despite the layers of traditional kimono he insisted seeing you in. “I am doing the best I can.”

“Good,” he nodded, taking a slow sip of tea. “I want you to continue doing that. To the best of your ability.” You took in a gasp of breath, feeling something tingle in the air. “I will be traveling soon and the Shimada heir needs to be here.”

“Traveling? Where?”

He shrugged and his voice was pulled from some deep place inside him. “I will start at the shrine in Osaka.”

“Why?”

“I wish to...be cleansed.” His head rolled back on his shoulders. “I do not want to feel so drenched in...evil any more.”

“You’re leaving?” You couldn’t believe it. “To go to a shrine in Osaka?”

He leaned over slightly, his shoulders slumped. “I have done whatever the clan demanded for so long that I do not know what it will be like not to.” Hanzo shrugged indistinctly, his dark kimono barely going up and down. “But I have left the clan an heir and I can finally seek peace for myself.

“Do not worry. My uncle has been appointed my wakagashira and can lead the business decisions, direct the clan. My cousins and the rest of the brothers will follow him without question.” He shrugged. “I have left money and property for you, as well as instructions for your security.”

“And you are leaving?” Your head cocked curiously. “It sounds for like a long time.”

“I will go first to Osaka. I will go to an onsen there and then to the temple.” His eyes glistened with what you could not believe were tears. “I need to be.... I will go perform the harai and seek forgiveness.”

“And you could not do this closer to home?”

Hanzo sighed thoughtfully. “I’m sure you have heard this before, but I will tell you again if it is so important to you. Osaka was one of Genji’s favorite places as a child—Legoland, the Pokémon store, the lights at night, the beach.”

You shuddered, hearing him say Genji’s name after so long. But—Osaka was hours from here, and you could use the time alone. Or as alone you could be on an estate like this surrounded by people.

“I will leave tonight,” he murmured. “You will be fine, safe, and the child will be fine.” He shrugged again. “I will be unavailable, obviously, as I perform the harai, but afterwards, I will try to call you.”

He nodded towards you. “I hope you will be well. Take any concerns you have to my Uncle Shiro.” He shrugged again. “He will be somewhat busy for the time being—work problems you do not need to worry about—but if there is something I have forgotten, then you can ask him.”

Before you could say anything, he finished his tea and stood up. He wished you a good evening and then walked out. You weren’t entirely sure what to do next, so you finished your dinner and went to your rooms. Without him looming in the suite, you took in a couple of breaths, surprised at how much lighter the air felt.

You were positively giddy and finally went to your computer. It was fun to watch a movie by yourself and then to potter about without worrying about the Shimada Scion looking over your shoulder. Finally—after midnight—you even logged into your online game, to take some joy in the soft characters and funny ways.

You materialized in the Red Panda inn, in the middle of a crowd of characters. After so long, it was joyful to have only the simple tasks and pleasures. You needed to harvest your garden, to give the vegetables to the purple garbed villager in exchange for a seashell that would fill your quest and give you some gold and a new hat. You needed to empty your inventory, go buy a few healing potions. It was all simple and easy to think about.

You spun slowly around the room when you saw it. There was a pink and green dress with.... Holy fuck—it looked like Genji’s old character. You would swear it. There were over two hundred commonly found dresses, over a thousand types of other clothes, hundreds of colors. You and Genji calculated it out once and there was over 250,000 different, unique combinations of just the dress and shoes. The sheer odds of someone else picking out that costume in those colors were staggering.

You stopped right there, your character staring. Your eyes filled with tears and you couldn’t help but wave. The other character was also still—unusual in the rowdy inn—and after a dizzy moment, waved back. Then, unbelievably, it did a silly little dance.

You shuddered, watching it. Your whole body was shaking and you felt nauseous again as you saw in almost slow motion the other character walk up to you.

“Can I hug you?” it asked over the chat.

You stared at it, the username finally appearing in your chat. It was Genji’s username. There was no mistaking it—“OmegaNinja_1234”—and you whined softly into your fist. Your character started dozing as tears filled your eyes. Finally, you managed to bang out, “Who...are you?”

“I’m...? You know me.”

Oh fuck, it even sounded like him. You could even hear his voice in your head. “But”

“I’m okay. But...how are you? You’re the one dealing with the alpha pain in the ass, aren’t you?”

You shook your head, aware he couldn’t see it. “I’m okay,” you managed to type out.

“Hold on, okay?”

You looked around, sure someone was pranking you. Someone had his account hacked or something. There was no other rational explanation. You were going to log off, report that ID as hacked and harassing, and never return.

“It’s been tough, but I should have gotten a handkerchief to you sooner.” Then that colorful character took out something to show you—a brilliant red fez in a scarlet square shape. “It’s not a handkerchief, but will this do?”

You almost fainted. There was nothing else he could have said to make you believe it more. “I have missed you.”

“Hold on, okay?” A pause. “Just hold on.”

Genji’s avatar took the fez and put it back into his backpack. Then he pulled out a brilliant orange flower. “Okay?”

You shook your head—your character’s head. “I don’t have anything left.” You shrugged. “No computer except this one.”

He shrugged. “Okay.” There was a moment that he danced around, finally he nodded again. “Just hold on. Where are you?” You pondered what to say, almost certain you were being watched. “Never mind. Just hold on.”

He vanished in a puff of glittering smoke.

You couldn’t sleep at all. At dawn, you managed to sleep. Despite your expectations, you heard nothing, saw nothing. No, really, you saw nothing. None of the Shimadas would come near you or talk to you without Hanzo present. Literally, none of them would even be in the same room as you. 

Even if you went to his Uncle Shiro, he was more than two feet away from you at all times. Of course, he had a mate of his own with two sons in school, so you knew not to expect much in the way of company. It made you shiver, sometimes—at how little he seemed to merely tolerate your company or your questions. It was like he was hoping that you would simply go away.

You heard nothing from Hanzo either. Whatever it was that he was doing, it was taking a long time. The longer the better in your opinion, but it put you on eggshells. You called his phone a few times, leaving him a stilted message each time. Nor did Genji reappear in your game. You would wait at the inn for an hour or two each evening, and nothing would happen.

Your days had timelessness to them, with few people to talk to and little to do. You could watch television, read or do mundane little crafts or embroidery or mindless tasks. You could rest when you wished, rising when you wanted. All you had to do was incubate the Shimada heir.

You took to walking in the garden in the evenings. It was soothing enough, making you relax as you wandered—alone—along the white pebbled path. Nothing seemed out of place until you walked past a shallow stand of bamboo. A shadow flickered, drawing your attention to it and then down to a white gardenia with a white handkerchief wrapped around the woody stem and tied with a rainbow of ribbons.

You bent down to pick it up and saw the soft glow of lights in the bamboo. A darkly gloved hand—at least, you thought it was gloved—reached out to you. A ghostly voice that you never expected to hear again said, “Hey—can I hug you?”

You looked around and saw no one. With a nod, you followed him into the bamboo. He felt more muscular and harder, but you had no idea what it could be. He gave you a short hug—a token—and then you vaguely saw him press a brick and a door in the garden wall.

Without hesitation, you followed him through the dark passage. He knew the way well, never faltering and leading you easily. As soon as you go to the other side, he pushed you through the open door where you saw several darkly clad agents and two plain, dark vans waiting with their lights off.

“Genji?!” Your voice went high and shrill. “What is this?”

He sighed heavily. “I promised you that I’d get you out.” He ducked behind you and guiding you to the car. “It took me a while, but I finally got it done.”

You shook as he helped you into a relatively comfortable seat in one of the vans. You were outside of Hanamura for the first time in weeks. Then he climbed in after you and slid the door closed behind him. You stared at him, torn between relief and something like morbid curiosity. The man was covered in what appeared to be some kind of almost armor that glowed red. His face was almost covered with a plate over his crown and another over his mouth and cheeks. He put down his swords on the bench next to him and shrugged.

“It’s not a pretty sight, I know,” he grunted.

“But...it’s you under there, right?” You shuddered, your hands instinctively fluttering over your middle. “You’re....”

“I’m...trapped inside, yes.” Another shrug. “I promised I’d get you to safety.”

You both rolled down the road a bit. “Where are we going?”

“Just like before—we’re flying to Seattle and going to meet with the team in Dorado.” His voice rasped painfully, as though he was hoarse and sad. “And then, after that, we’re going to go to....”

You smiled as his voice trailed off. “Not gonna tell me so I can’t tell?”

“Got it in one,” he rumbled gruffly. Looking aside, he shrugged again. “I know I’m not much to look at any more, but I did promise and...hell.... After I got back on my...feet, as it were, I started making arrangements.” He shot you a dark glance. “I’m told that in a few months, they’ll have a final design—sleeker and prettier and...ugh, not red.

“So...where is my brother these days?” He looked at you with puppy dog eyes. “Word on the street is that he hasn’t been seen in Hanamura for weeks.”

You shrugged. “He’s supposed to be in Osaka, performing the harai—.”

“Him?! You’re joking.”

“No...he’s supposed to be there.” You shrugged, glad to talk with someone—anyone. “I was...told—he told me—that he had done everything the clan had asked him to do. That he wanted to be cleansed and purified for himself. Then he was gone and left his Uncle Shiro in charge.”

“So that’s why you were on the most remote corner of the estate, with only two guards and a rather idiotic maid who slept through the whole thing.” He nodded slowly. “I worried it would be a gunfight, but we got in and out easily. If Shiro is in charge in Hanzo’s absence, he has children of his own who he will want to protect and be the heirs.”

“So they let me escape.”

“Probably.”

“So what happens now?” You reached out instinctively to his hand. The omnic hand felt strange in yours, but he seemed to still be Genji—your friend, your fellow omega, your co-conspirator—underneath. “Hanzo will go nuts when he finds out that his son—.”

“Son?!” Genji gasped. “You are carrying his son and the rightful Shimada heir?”

You nodded, squeezing the metallic fingers. “I know—it’s terrible.”

He shuddered, the lights flaring slightly. “I thought—I thought he killed me to punish me. That the clan ordered it because I was too soft and disobeyed them or something.” His voice turned anguished. “I didn’t know...at all—that he killed me to take you.”

“Where is he now?”

Genji shrugged, deep in thought. “We lost him. The guards he went to Osaka with were found murdered—their throats cut—and him gone with his Storm Bow and quiver, his knives and whatever clothes he has. The trail went cold and he is still at large.”

You looked down. “But...I need—. I know I need help now.”

He nodded slowly, the lights growing dimmer. “Yeah. I know.” After another long moment of silence, he said, “I am taking you with me. It’s not like I’m an alpha—and I’m not a prince in shining armor—but I will take care of you and the boy.” His hand went to your shoulder. “And the good thing is that I won’t dominate you with a rut or anything. As long as you’re willing to overlook my appearance and give me space for my heats, we can still be good together, right?

“Look—I know this is a lot, but you promised to stick with me until Dorado, didn’t you? The thugs that were with Hanzo that night—they tore me up after he left. So I look like a freak now—all this clumsy metal and machinery to keep this going and keep pumping that. The new stuff—the green stuff—is supposed to be prettier, sleeker. I know I’m not handsome and I don’t have oodles of money like I did...before.

“And I’m messed up inside. Not only did one of those bastard kick me in the head a few times—scrambling my brain—but I’m kind of messed up inside myself. I hate him for what he did. I hate all of the Shimadas.”

“Genji—I’m so sorry.”

“I am meeting with an Omnic monk later on.” He shrugged absently. “He requested me specifically to help guard him to a peace talk. I think it’s because I’m practically half Omnic, too.

“But...there’s some good people. Would you believe even some good alphas? The big guy—Reaper—he’s like protective and thorough and plans everything so that we don’t get hurt. Then there’s the weird cowboy guy—Jesse—who I swear has drunk everything he could find that rolled downhill.” That made you laugh. “But they both are good people. Overwatch helps me with medicines—suppressants—and they both make sure I eat well and go in for maintenance and stuff. And Jesse—he has an omega he keeps on base. You’ll like her—she makes homemade donuts. Reaper has...someone else, too.” His voice dropped to a conspirator’s whisper. “Rumor has it that he and one of the other upper ups are together—so no one will bother you.”

You nodded thoughtfully. “I know you wouldn’t make me go somewhere unsafe.”

He sighed again. “You’ll be safe there—I know it.” He gave you a half-hearted smile. “And I wanted...to keep my promise to you.” His voice went lighter, higher. “After all, you saved my life.

“If you hadn’t gone into heat and hadn’t gotten me out to contact Overwatch when I did—they wouldn’t have gotten to me in time. I’d have bled out or something disgusting. But, because of you and your heat—they were already on the way with medical people and found me in the nick of time.

“Just...don’t look at the surface, huh? Don’t look at the machinery and crap, okay? I’m still in here and even if I’m kind of messed up right now, I’m still in here and I’m working on it. I haven’t gone anywhere—just changed a bit.

“And it’s...just for the record...awesome that you’re here with me. The time I spent with you—that little sliver of heat—was amazing. I’ll never forget it. And I want to see your baby boy and...I’ll raise him like my own. I’ll go to my grave before I’ll tell him about his real father, if you want.” He gave a little metallic snicker. “I mean—the grave doesn’t really scare me now since I’ve died once already, but you know what I mean.”

“Yeah—err...I guess.” You puffed out a breath. “It’s just going a little fast right now.”

“I know. But we’ll go slow and gentle like the heat and...and there’s nothing we can’t do, now. We’re free.”

“To freedom,” you sighed.

“To freedom,” he nodded in return. “And just wait until I show you what I can do now.”


End file.
